The future of the knowledge economy is local

September 14, 2016

Richard Florida

Competitiveness and Prosperity

Canada’s future lies in the innovation-powered knowledge economy. Indeed, the nation’s leaders are well aware of the need for new ideas and approaches to meet the nation’s looming innovation, productivity and prosperity challenges.

The Trudeau government has made a clear commitment to shifting Canada from its resource-dependent past to a more knowledge-driven future by setting an innovation agenda dedicated to increased infrastructure funding. Ontario has even created a blue-ribbon commission, headed by former TD Bank CEO Ed Clark, to spark the development of its knowledge economy. Across all levels of government, there is a virtually unprecedented degree of alignment at a crucial time for economic policy-making.